


How To Prevent Night Terrors: A Novel By Michael Jones

by fakeahcrevv, probablypadders



Series: Starry's Prompts [15]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M, Purely Fluff, literally 0 angst just gay fluff we swear, ryebread has nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-14 05:42:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11776668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fakeahcrevv/pseuds/fakeahcrevv, https://archiveofourown.org/users/probablypadders/pseuds/probablypadders
Summary: Super late contribution to Myan Week!!“Michael. Do you have any idea how late it is?”“I could ask you the same question,Ryan.”There’s no heat to Michael’s words, though, and he looks… almost sheepish?





	How To Prevent Night Terrors: A Novel By Michael Jones

They don’t come as frequently as they used to, but it’s been so long since the nightmares began that over the years they’ve shifted, recurring dreams twisting down dark paths that seem to mock him with his deepest fears.

Nowadays these fears are almost exclusively focused on his crew, his _family_. The logical part of his brain knows that their line of work puts them all at risk on a regular basis, but deep below the surface lies the worry that he could lose them all in the blink of an eye. It never hindered him from the job at hand, but it always lingered at the very back of his mind, ready to strike when he least expected it.

He never tells them, though. He’s not sure why. They’ve been through enough together that he doubts his secret would be mocked yet he continues to ignore it - and if the rest of the crew notice him being a little more affectionate with them the morning after, they don’t bring it up.

One morning in particular sees him meticulously applying his face paint before he even leaves his room in an attempt to mask the bags under his eyes; he’d barely slept at all, taunted by the worst nightmares he’s had in months. The familiarity of carefully drawing his signature design helps ease the trembling in his fingers, and when he’s done it’s easier to push the lingering discomfort aside. They have a heist to plan.

-

After the meeting room had been filled with the needed members of the crew, Geoff began explaining the details of the upcoming job. Michael, however, wasn’t paying very much attention to the elder. Instead, he focused on studying the very tired-looking Ryan in the corner of his eye. Though he could see how hard the other tried to hide it, Michael could notice the distinct bags under his eyes, the way the lids occasionally drooped, almost like he was about to fall asleep right in his chair.

Glancing up to make sure Geoff was still engrossed in explaining his latest plan, he discreetly sends Ryan a simple text: 

_Everything okay?_  
**Yeah, why?**  
_You look like you’re half asleep_  
**What can I say? Geoff’s voice just has that effect on me.**  
_LOL_  
Really though  
**Really really**  
_Ryan._  
**Michael.**  
_…_  
_You’re a stubborn motherfucker, you know that?_  
**All part of the charm.**  
_Yup, super charming looking like a Halloween store bargain bin_  
**You wound me.**

Michael struggled to hold back a soft snort at Ryan’s reply, eyeing the other from across the table. In return, he received a small smirk from the other which he answers by pulling a ridiculous face that has the other man disguising his laughter as a coughing fit.

It’s then that Michael realises Geoff has stopped talking and turns his attention back to the front of the room.

“Are you and Ryan done eyefucking?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Geoff looks from Michael to Ryan, who’s managed to compose himself and is giving his very best poker face. The older gent sighs, scrubbing a hand over his eyes.

“Whatever. Anyway…”

-

Later that night (or morning, as his phone read 2:55 AM), Ryan internally grumbled to himself as he tried to go to sleep. In the meantime, his thoughts turned to Michael’s earlier show of concern over him. What had that been about, anyway? He never remembered the lad checking up on him like that before. Was there something he didn’t know about? Maybe he hadn’t applied enough face paint when he’d woken up. Yeah, that's probably it. Right?

Heaving a sigh, he sat up and rubbed his now paint-free eyes, turning on the bedside light and picking up the book he’d discarded earlier. Might as well get _some_ use out of his time if sleep was out of the question. A few minutes after he’d begun his reading, he heard a soft click! and looked up to see his door creaking open slightly.

It takes a second for his vision to focus, but then he quirks a brow.

“Michael. Do you have any idea how late it is?”

“I could ask you the same question, _Ryan_.”

There’s no heat to Michael’s words, though, and he looks… almost sheepish?

The silence drags on for a moment before Ryan speaks again.

“Can’t sleep?”

Michael hesitated for only a moment before shaking his head. He looked like he wanted to say more, though.

Ryan sets his book aside and pats the space next to him-- might as well enjoy the company.

The younger’s eyes widened slightly at the gesture, as if he hadn’t expected Ryan to offer an invitation inside. He carefully made his way inside, slowly closing the door behind him, and reluctantly made his way over to him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, and feeling rather awkward while doing so, Michael turned to focus his gaze on Ryan’s own.

“I know- I know you’ve been, um… having trouble sleeping lately,” The redhead ground out, and before Ryan could intercept this statement, the other held up a hand. “The facepaint won’t hide those bags under your eyes, Ryan. It’s pretty fucking obvious.”

Ryan can’t help but crack a smile at that, flushing a little under Michael’s gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Look, in my defence, you were the only one paying enough attention to notice.”

“Eh, I guess so,” The other shrugged, not really paying it much mind. “What matters here is that you’re not sleeping. I know you’re the Vagabond, you don’t sleep, whatever, that’s all bullshit. What’s fucking with you?”

Michael never failed to surprise Ryan, even after all the years they’d been working together. His compassion - harshly-worded as it was sometimes - often showed itself around the other lads, but this was the first time Ryan could recall it being turned on him outside of a job.

Maybe that’s why his next words escape before he can stop them.

“I… I get night terrors, sometimes.”

There was suddenly a gentle hand on his shoulder, and even Michael looked surprised at the action. He didn’t bother moving the hand, though, and truth be told, Ryan didn’t mind very much. He rested his own hand on Michael’s for a second and gave it a light squeeze before letting go, curling his fingers together for the sake of keeping them occupied. Their mutual silence lasted for a few more moments, before a soft voice broke it.

“Come here.”

Ryan cocks his head to one side, watching a flush of pink creep from the tips of Michael’s ears down into his cheeks before he obediently shuffles a little closer. Michael wordlessly pushes his chest, gentle but insistent, and after a moment of hesitation Ryan moves further down the bed to lay flat on his back.

It’s Michael’s turn to pause as Ryan watches him curiously, and he knows his cheeks are burning as he slides down to lay on his side right next to Ryan and before he can talk himself out of it, he lays his cheek against the gent’s shoulder and curls into his side.

It’s… new. It’s definitely nice. When Michael makes no move to get up Ryan lets his arm settle around the lad’s waist, then almost unconsciously sweeps a hand along his spine with a soft hum of contentment.

Ryan can’t honestly remember the last time he’d felt this at peace just being. No distractions, no hum of activity elsewhere in the penthouse, just him and Michael… cuddling. Apparently that was a thing they did now. Was it? If it was, he was more than okay with it.

**Author's Note:**

> This was an absolute blast to write! Shoutout to Han for her A+++ ideas
> 
> Check out our tumblrs: [Sarah](https://starryalpha.tumblr.com) and [Han](https://doctorzieglerwrites.tumblr.com)


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